Midnight Blue
by Pwnguin
Summary: She suddenly realizes that there's a secret about Justin Russo... and she isn't sure if she wants to know. Justin/Lilly. Slight Oliver/Lilly.
1. Complicated

**A/N:**

**Inspiration:**  
Italian I. 11:05 AM. _La maestra_ is explaining to us the meaning of the word _azzurro, _meaning "sky-blue". The story we are reading says the sky at night is _azzurro. La maestra_ says that it doesn't seem right, since the sky at night is _blu, _meaning "dark-blue". Someone blurts out "Like midnight-blue!" The word strikes me. I contemplate on the beauty of the word, and how it would make a perfect title to a fanfic. Inspiration hits. The end**.  
**This was originally a Justin/Alex fic, but I REALLY wanted to write a Justin/Lilly fic after the Crossover feature came up, so here it is. I will possibly write a Justin/Alex One-Shot version to this fic, but it will be at LiveJournal.  
Maybe I said that _Do You Really?_ would be my last fic until summer, and I did, but I was wrong. This story is just something to keep me going before summer. I probably won't update anything else besides this.  
**  


* * *

_  
Midnight Blue_**  
by Pwnguin

**Chapter One:**  
_Complicated_

She didn't want to come here. She _hated _leaving home. She lived and loved Malibu, California for her whole life, and she sure as hell wasn't going to leave this place for a stupid thing like college. She isn't sure why she applied to a college so far away from home anyway. Why she was leaving sunny California for pollution-central New York for school was completely past her. So maybe her two-year boyfriend begged her to go, and maybe she loved him enough to listen to him, but that didn't mean she had to go. Maybe... just maybe, she would find something beyond her imagination, and maybe she knew that, and maybe that's why she went.

Lilly Truscott sure didn't believe that for the first few months of her college experience.

People told her that college was a step up from high school. Boy were they _wrong. _College was a _mountain _up from high school. Lilly went through the stress up late nights and early mornings, soon taking caffeine into her regular diet. She awaited the weekend so early as Sunday evening, biting back the pain from the stress work had given her. She lived alone in a rented apartment, surrounded by crazy neighbors who would not let her sleep at night, due to music, 3 AM arguments, or cats who enjoyed running against the walls. New York drove her _crazy. _She wanted home, she wanted Miley, she wanted Oliver. She regrets ever loving him and letting him convince her that New York was her place to be.

Life seemed to get worse when her "home" was suddenly taken away from her.

School had kept Lilly too busy to keep up with her part-time job as a waitress. When her schoolwork began to pile up, work became harder to keep up with, and eventually she was fired. Without money, she could not pay her rent, and was eventually kicked out of her apartment. With a rolling luggage in hand, she trudges the street in hope to find work, a home, or at least a place to sleep.

She holds her vanilla latte in hand, taking sips every now and then to keep her awake. It's only 3 in the afternoon, but she could use a nap. Her eyes keep locked at her shoes, and she avoids eye-contact with anyone who moves out of her way.

That changes when her head bumps into the chest of an unnoticing walker. She looks up, annoyed, and meets her eyes with a dark-haired boy who can't be more than two years older than her. She mumbles under her breath, "Sorry."

"It's all good," he nods. He notices her luggage, "Fleeing the country, by any chance?"

She shakes her head and sips her latte, "No. I just got kicked out of my apartment."

"Oh, that's too bad," he seems to be sincere with his response. "I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be, it's not your fault," she mutters. "Look, I gotta get going, I need to find a job and a new apartment. It was nice talking to you..."

"Justin. Justin Russo," he says, offering his hand for a shake. She lets go of her belongings for a second and shakes his hand. Their eyes meet, and she can't help but smile.

"Lilly Truscott," she says.

He seems reluctant to let her go. Excitedly, he says, "Hey, if you need a job, my dad owns a Sub Station on Waverly Place. Maybe I could sweet talking him into hiring...?"

She is suddenly excited, "Really? That's perfect! Thanks, Justin," she says. He leads the way to the Waverly Sub Station, which was located conveniently under an apartment building. Justin explained that his family lived right above the Sub Station with his parents and two younger siblings, Alex and Max.

He introduces her to his parents, Jerry and Teresa Russo, and they welcome her with open arms. They agree to give Lilly a job, and, to Lilly's surprise, a place to stay in their apartment. Justin seats her at a table as his parents make a "welcome sandwich" for Lilly.

"Justin, you didn't have to ask them if I could stay," she says. She wanted to argue with his parents and convince her that she could rent her own apartment with the money she made here, but she was afraid of breaking them; they were being too hospitable.

"Don't be ridiculous. It's gotta be tough living in New York since you just moved from... California, was it?"

"Yeah," she says, slowly stirring her diet soda with her straw. "But I'm an independent person. I don't want to have to lean on anybody to help support me."

He rolls eyes, "Whatever."

"Forget about me, Justin. Tell me about you," she says, nudging him with her knuckles as her welcome sandwich is placed in front of her. "I don't like to talk while I eat."

He nods, "Okay, well... I'm Justin. I'm 20 years old."

She stops him short, "College?" she asks quickly as she takes a bite.

He shakes his head, "Nope."

"Why not?" she asks.

"I'm waiting for Max to turn 18," he responds.

"Why?" she asks. Most older brothers would prefer to get away from their younger siblings, she thinks, not wait until their adults.

He opens his mouth, and then closes it. "It's... a little complicated."

She rolls her eyes, "Isn't everything?" She doesn't want to hear complicated. _Her _life is complicated. She has an ex-boyfriend in Malibu that she's in love with, she's stuck in New York and now living with a family that she doesn't even know, and he expects her to believe that _his _life is _complicated_?

"When you're in my world... yes," he responds, and she suddenly realizes that there's a secret about Justin Russo... and she isn't sure if she wants to know.

* * *

**A/N:  
**The beginning to my short-multi-chaptered story. Don't get your hopes up for a full-length suspenseful tale about how these two fall in love and live happily ever after. It's simpler than that.  
If you liked... review please? When it comes to multi-chaptered stories, I need the encouragement of reviews to keep me going about 25 percent of the time. Usually it's the ideas in my head that keep me going, but reviews are part of it too. (:


	2. Trust

**A/N:  
**  
Hope you're enjoying the story. As I think about it, I could have very well made this a 4000+ word one-shot, but it's a lot cleaner and organized when divided into chapters.  
What do you think about the Justin/Lilly relationship? Cute? Weird? Random? Watch Dadnapped. That's what made me like Justin/Lilly... even though it's technically Wheeze/Melissa. Who cares. David/Emily is cute.  
This story should be finished by Friday, April 3rd.

* * *

**_Midnight Blue_**  
by Pwnguin

**Chapter Two:  
**_Trust_

She's been living with them for a year now, and she can't help but feel at home. She's learned to love Max as she would if she had a younger brother. She can't help but look at him and remember Rico, the rude and evil genius who's father owned the Surf Shack back home in Malibu. Max seems to be a toned down version of him, but Lilly can't help but miss Rico whenever she sees Max. There's Alex who, as it turns out, has a lot in common with Lilly. Lilly can't help but be able to relate to everything Alex is going through. They were, after all, the same age, they were both a little on the tomboy side, and they both were struggling when it came to school. If Alex had a boy problem, Lilly was always there to talk her through it. Alex wasn't even angry at the fact that she had to get rid of her queen size bed for two twin beds in her bedroom. She liked talking to Lilly at night.

Most of all, Lilly felt a special bond with the eldest Russo, Justin. He may have been the one to lead her into the Russo life in the first place, but even if it wasn't him, she would still feel a connection with him. Maybe it was just a crush, and maybe he was a little too old for her, but she couldn't help but find him attractive. She almost considered telling Alex about it one night, but she remembered how much Alex thought that her older brother was "uncool". "He showers in his swimsuit, he collects dolls - excuse me - _action figures - _and he's only had two girlfriends in his life. Take note that one of them was a were - "

"A what?" Lilly asked. She was reading over her Psychology notes, and didn't quite pay attention to what Alex was saying until she mentioned Justin's past girlfriends.

"Nothing, nothing. Just a goth girl. She was cute, she was nice, but she was a little creepy," Alex quickly said.

Lilly shrugged. Oliver was once interested in an environmentalist and one time her worst enemy, now good friend. She's used to guys being interested in the wrong people.

---

She comes home and finds the loft empty. She saw Teresa at the Sub Station, but no Justin, Alex, Max, or Jerry. Lilly sighs and plops onto the couch and turns on the TV. She notices that she's been coming home like this often. They always seem to pop back together at the same time. She figures she should ask, it's only fair right? When she comes home to find the place empty, she deserves to know where they were, right? After all, she's been living here for a year, she hasn't questioned once. It's her time to know now, right?

Justin and Alex come up the stairs, on cue to Lilly's thoughts. She turns and smiles, "Hey guys."

They nod at her and say in unison, "Hey."

"So, where have you been?" Lilly asks, getting up off the couch and joining them in the kitchen. Alex grabs a soda from the fridge as Justin leans against the counter.

Justin shrugs, "Oh, nowhere, just doing inventory..." He looks to Alex and she gives him a sour look.

"Really, cause I've been home for about 20 minutes now," Lilly says. "Does it take that long, and do you, Alex, and Jerry need to be there?"

Alex responds, "Oh, we just got home about 10 minutes ago. You probably arrived earlier and missed us." She eyes Justin again.

Lilly nods, "Okay... just a little curious, since it's been like this for a while now."

Alex laughs, "Of course."

Justin suddenly turns to Alex, "Alex, can I talk to you in the hallway?" He grabs his sister's arm and looks at Lilly, "We will just be a second, Lilly," he says nervously. They walk briskly into the hallway.

Lilly knows eavesdropping is wrong, but she does it anyway. She looks into the hallway and sees Justin looking angry, at the same time concerned. "Alex, I think we should tell Lilly about us."

"Are you crazy? She could expose us!"

"I trust her, Alex. And I know you trust her too," he says.

"Trust her? Justin, you met her on the street holding a latte and a suitcase. Who knows where she was going?! You may _think _I trust her, Justin, but I'll have you know that I know girls like her, and girls like her _cannot_ be trusted. Conversation's over." Alex puts her hand over Justin's mouth, puts her finger to her lips, and then walks into her room.

Lilly quickly jumps to the couch and makes herself look as if she's interested in what's on TV. Justin returns into the room and sits down next to Lilly. She looks and him and can't help but wonder if he and his sister are having an affair, which is just too _weird _by Lilly's standards. What in the world could they have been talking about? Why didn't Alex trust her? Didn't they live in the same room for the past year, telling each other everything, helping each other with their problems? Didn't they have enough in common for Lilly to be trusted?

"Lilly," he says. "Do you trust me?" She already knew the question was coming up. She knows how she has to answer to figure out what the hell he and Alex were talking about. She knows her answer is true... she's been living with him for a year now, right?

"Yes," she says slowly, acting like she didn't hear their conversation. "I've been living with you for a year now. If I didn't trust you, I think I'd be in Malibu, begging my ex-boyfriend to come back to me today." She says it with a smile, truly meaning her words.

He laughs, "Great... you know I trust you too, right? I _really _trust you, Lilly."

She bites her lips. She wonders if he's going to tell her what the big secret is. Is he dating Alex? Does he and Alex have a dangerous disease? Is there some kind of family secret she should know about?

"I'm glad to hear that Justin. So... there are no secrets between us?" she asks. She'll keep Miley's Hannah secret under wraps, but if he tells her what's going on, she'll come up with a secret to tell Justin. Miley's secret isn't hers to tell anyway.

He smiles and shakes his head, "No secrets... for now..."

She sighs. No answers this time.

* * *

**A/N:  
**And she will get those answers. Soon. (:  
Review anyone? Please?


	3. Stars

_**Midnight Blue**_  
by Pwnguin

**Chapter Three:  
**_Stars_

Another year passes, and Lilly still doesn't know what Justin and Alex Russo have been hiding. Every night, Lilly lies in her bed staring at the ceiling and coming up with strange theories behind the hushed voices and piercing glares. The mood shifts between Lilly and Alex, sometimes turning those moods into loud screaming, violent pillow fights, and angry tears. Lilly wasn't even sure about why they were fighting. They had become so close, she considered Alex her second Miley, her best friend, practically her sister. Why they fought so often seemed to lead back to a simple word: _Trust._

Alex didn't trust Lilly. You would have thought otherwise if you scanned their first year together. When bitter nights turned into salty tears, Lilly eventually made her way to Justin's room, bouncing on the bed and complaining her every emotion to Justin, excluding the one about him. She would never say it out loud, but she _loved _Justin. Maybe Oliver held a good amount of her heart, but with whatever was left, she was sure most of it was devoted to Justin. She would cry to Justin during the nights Alex had acted up, eventually falling asleep in his bed as he played with her long, blonde hair. When she woke up, he would never be there, but she knew he was watching her sleep. In the long run, it always made Lilly feel better.

The day before Max's 18th birthday had finally come, and there was a strange aura in the air as Lilly walked down the steps into the loft that morning. It was a Saturday, she was free from school and work, in the morning anyway. Justin stood at the stove cooking omelettes, Alex was at the kitchen table reading newspapers, and Max was sitting in front of the couch, remote in hand, blankly flipping through the channels.

"Good morning," Lilly said as cheerfully as her voice could muster. Max muttered something incomprehensible and Alex didn't take one look up from her newspaper. Justin made eye contact with Lilly and gave her a smile.

"Hey, Lil," he said, using a nickname that did not feel awkward on Justin's voice. He shoveled the large omelette onto a plate and laid it in front of Alex.

Lilly wondered where her breakfast was, and if Alex was going to eat that omelette by herself. Max showed no signs of hunger.

As if he read her thoughts, Justin threw down a rag, looked to Lilly and said, "Get dressed. We're going out."

It was not a suggestion, it was a command. So without a word, she hurried upstairs and got dressed in a plain white tee, and a pair of jeans. When she came down the steps, Justin was already leaning against the door. He looked to Lilly and said, "Ready?"

She nodded and followed him out the door.

---

It was now six o'clock at night. Lilly had spent the entire day with Justin. She doesn't know how he got themselves out of working at the Sub Station, but he assured her that she didn't have to worry about it. They had breakfast at a restaurant with a name that Lilly couldn't possibly pronounce, but they served her the most delicious breakfast on the planet. He took her for a walk in the park and laughed at dogs, cats, squirrels, and any living creature that they saw and had a reason to be laughed at. Lunch was pizza since Lilly hadn't had a slice of real New York pizza in her two years of living there. Justin had a reason to ridicule her for that one. He took her to the skating rink, telling her about one of Alex's ex-boyfriends, Dean, and how he was known for kissing girls in a corner. Lilly was a lot more coordinated than Justin; she found herself having to pick him up several times and laughing at how clumsy he was.

She relives her day as she walks down the busy streets of New York, hand in hand with Justin, and actually finding the sounds of the city soothing. She would never get used to the polluted smell, but it didn't bother her as much today. She looks up to Justin and smiles. He looks down at her and smiles as well.

"Had fun?" he asks.

She takes a breath and laughs, "Fun? Fun doesn't describe it. Hell, I can't describe it all."

He laughs as well. A silence is formed, and she wonders, for the first time today, why Justin took her out on this day. Suddenly, she remember the day from over a year ago. The _secret. _

"Thanks for taking me out, Justin," she says. "I had a great time."

"Your welcome, Lilly," he says. "But your day isn't over yet."

"What do you mean?" she asks, puzzled.

"Come on," he says, gripping her hand tighter. She notices that they are in front of the Sub Station. They enter and find Alex wiping off a table close to the door. She eyes them suspiciously.

"Where the hell have you been?!" she asks, furious. "Mom and Dad took their afternoon shift off and Max and I had to cover this place by ourselves!"

Justin steps forward onto his sister, "I got it covered, Alex. Take the day off tomorrow." Without waiting for a response, he grabs Lilly's hand and walks her up the stairs, but instead of going into the loft, he directs her to an elevator. They board, and Justin presses the highest number on the door.

"Justin, where are we going?" Lilly asks.

"Don't worry. _Trust _me."

They wait for the elevator to stop. When it reaches its destination, the doors open with a _Ding! _and Lilly sees the city lights of the New York skyscrapers. She hears the sounds of running cars and honking horns. They're on the roof of the apartment.

In awe, she steps to the side and looks down. They're so high up, she feels breathless.

"I didn't know you could go on the roof..." she mumbles. Then she feels an arm go around her shoulder.

"Cool, huh?" he says. She looks up and smiles.

"This is awesome, Justin," she wraps his arms around him and hugs him as tight as she can. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"Yeah," he laughs.

"Justin, I don't know what you've been thinking, giving an amazing day to me when tomorrow's Max's birthday and..."

"Lilly," he says, silencing her and then grabbing her hands. "Max is going to receive something that... that I can't exactly give him."

"What are you talking about?" Lilly asks, curious.

"Professor Crumb is showing up here tomorrow, and this is possibly the last day I'm going to be able to do this... but..."

"But what? Don't think that anything can ruin this day, because absolutely _nothing_ can," she warns. She has no idea what Justin is talking about, and she is dying to know what is going on. Who was Professor Crumb? What was he able to do today that he couldn't tomorrow? Was the secret he was hiding finally going to be revealed?

He looks to her and says, "Lilly, this is only going to make your day better," he assures. He points his finger to the sky and waves it around as if inscribing something in the stars. When Lilly looks up, she realizes he was.

The stars had created a formation against the dark sky, creating words that followed Justin's handwriting. With her mouth agape, she reads, _I Love You, Lilly._

"What... the... _hell?_" _Star inscriber? Star writer? Magical star mover? Did he just move the frickin' stars?_

"Lilly," he says deeply, "I've been keeping a _secret_..."

_Genetic disorder? Nebula god? Great-grandson of Merlin?_

She doesn't answer. Then with a flick of his wrist, a rose appears in Justin's hand. He slowly holds it in front of Lilly, offering it to her. She takes a breath, takes hold of the rose, and then stares into Justin's eyes.

"I'm a wizard, Lilly."

* * *

**A/N:  
**Two updates because I love this chapter way too much.  
Definitely two more chapters coming up.  
I love the way that Lilly found out. (: Don't you?  
Why don't you tell me in a review?


	4. Promise

_**Midnight Blue  
**_by Pwnguin

**Chapter Four:  
**_Promise_

She can't answer. Her voice was somewhere in her throat, afraid to come out. She isn't sure if she knows any words at all. When she looks up, she sees Justin, but not the same Justin she met two years ago on a New York street, practically saving her life. That Justin she didn't know at all. That Justin didn't know her name. That Justin was a mere memory never to be brought to life again. The Justin who was standing in front of her was Justin Russo, the wizard who is in love with a mortal girl named Lilly Truscott.

Since she doesn't answer, he speaks, "Tomorrow, Max turns eighteen," he says slowly, hoping that Lilly can understand him. "Alex, Max, and I are going to compete in a wizard competition to see which of us gets to keep our powers. The best sibling gets to keep their powers, the others lose them and become mortal."

She still sees Justin Russo the wizard. She wishes he would talk to her like a normal person who doesn't have the ability to spell her name with the stars.

"But Alex and I made a deal. Wizards can't marry mortals, Lilly," he says, stressing the words _mortals _and _Lilly. _"Alex says she will, with no doubt, marry a mortal, and she sees no use for her powers." He takes a breath, choosing his next words carefully. "I think I _might _marry a mortal too, so we decided to let Max win the competition." He almost regrets the words he says.

"What?!" Lilly exclaims, finally finding her voice and words. "You're going to let Max win? How do I know you're not the best wizard, Justin?"

"Actually, I am. Professor Crumb is absolutely sure I'm going to win the competition."

"Then _why _are you going to let Max win if you know for _sure_ that you have the ability to win?!" she screams. Then it dawns on her, "... You want to marry a mortal? Does this particular mortal's name start with an - "

"Lilly," he says, silencing her. "Look, I think we could work this out - "

"No!" she says. "Justin, I'm only twenty years old! I still have, like, two more years of schooling to get through, maybe more!"

"I'm not proposing to you now - "

"Forget proposing to me _ever!_" she screeches. "I am not letting you lose your powers because of me. I may have only known about your magical abilities for two minutes, but I know you're an amazing wizard, Justin. Do not, _do not, _let all of that go because you love me. Understand?"

"Lilly," he soothes. "I really, _really, _love you. I've loved you since you bumped into me on that day we met. I honestly never saw anyone as beautiful as - "

"Shut up!" she cries. "You are so _cheesy._ Justin, I love you too, really, I do, but could you make that statement a little less _cliché__? _The stars were already a little too much to begin with."

"What exactly are you saying? 'Cause you're kinda switching back and forth on this," he argues.

She sighs and looks up. Then, she places her hand on Justin's shoulder and stares directly into his eyes, "I _really _like you Justin. I may love you with all the part of my heart that Oliver didn't take, but..." she looks up again, as if the stars will spell out exactly what to say for her. They don't. "I don't want to take away what you deserve: _Your powers._"

"How do you know I deserve these powers?" he challenges.

She laughs and points up, "You could win a lot of girls hearts just by writing their name in the stars." Then she looks at the rose in her hand, "And girls are suckers for roses." She lets out a breath, "Guys always fall for the wrong girl," she says. "You're just another one of them, Justin. Right now, I think you're in love with the wrong girl and _I'm _in love with the wrong guy."

"So... what exactly are you saying?" he asks.

"I think..." she closes her eyes and breathes again. She knows she's going to regret this, she knows she will cry every night for doing this, but she knows it feels right. "I think we need a break from each other."

"But -"

"Justin, go win the wizard contest, competition, thingy, whatever. Fall for a wizard girl, marry her if you want to, and _keep your powers," _she feels a tear sliding down her cheek. "I promise to come back to New York and see you again, but right now... " she quickly wipes away the tear and sniffs, "Right now, California's calling my name."

He holds her cheek and brushes back more tears with his thumb, "Are you done talking?"

She nods and sniffs again. The tears have stopped her from talking.

"Lilly, I don't want you to go," he whispers. "I want you to stay here with me... but I also want you to be happy."

"Stop with the cheesiness, Justin, _please,"_ she begs.

He smiles, "I'm afraid I can't help it." She laughs, and he smiles. "I'll go to the wizard competition and make Alex and Max wish they were never wizards to begin with."

She hugs him, "That's what I want to hear."

"If it makes you happy," he assures.

She releases him and smiles, "You're a great wizard, Justin. Don't let it go to waste. Promise?"

"I don't make promises."

---

He wakes up the next morning and the house feels emptier than usual. When he goes into the kitchen, he already knows she's gone. There's a note on the stove.

_Justin_

_Maybe you don't make promises, but I do.  
By the time you read this, I won't be in New York. I'll probably be on a plane, regretting ever getting on board. Maybe I'll be in Malibu complaining to Oliver already. Who knows.  
I hope you understand that I really do love you, Justin. You may not think so, since I'm letting you go, but because I love you, I'm letting you go so you can be the best wizard you can be.  
That probably makes no sense to you. But it makes sense to me.  
As for promises, I promise to visit you again. You better not leave Waverly Place because that's the only place I know you could possibly be. Promises may be easily broken, but I know a couple spells myself, and those spells make sure that the promises I make aren't broken. T-R-U-S-T in myself, is the spell. I can be cheesy too.  
Good luck in the wizard competition, though you don't need it. I wish it to you anyway.  
And one more thing: This isn't a goodbye. This is merely a "See You Later." Way later. Maybe earlier than you think.  
_

_Lilly_

He sets the paper down and knows she's gone. She won't be back for a while. He steps out onto the terrace and looks at the sky overhead. He knows that the wizard competition is his to win... but he doesn't know how much he wants it. It would be nice to have magic and make things easier in his life... but if that means not having Lilly... he isn't sure if it's worth it anymore. He knows that the wizard competition isn't going to go the way Lilly wants it to go, but he still feels the need to do something in his life that would mean something to Lilly.

Maybe it's about time he made some promises himself. Looking down, he imagines Lilly's face, and then says, "I promise not to cry while you're gone."

Then he remembers why he doesn't make promises.

* * *

**A/N:  
**Aww, sad, yes I know.  
BUT DON'T BE DISCOURAGED! One more chapter awaits!  
Next chapter reveals why the title "Midnight Blue" fits.  
What else does it reveal? You'll just have to wait and see. (:  
Review please? Don't make me get on the ground and beg because then it'll get ugly.


	5. Midnight

_**Midnight Blue  
**_by Pwnguin

**Chapter Five:  
**_Midnight_

Here she stands three years later on Waverly Place just past midnight. Her luggage held enough necessities for a good weekend. She hopes they allow her to stay that long. The Waverly Sub Station looks exactly the same way she left it. The "Closed" sign does not stop her from reaching her destination. Reaching into her pocket, she pulls out the key that Jerry Russo gave to her a long five years ago. She sticks it into the keyhole, slowly turns it, and hears a click. Taking a breath, she steps inside, closes the door, and locks it.

The place has an eerie silence, and she can't help but want to scream to break it all, but she's afraid of waking someone up. Who she could possibly wake up, she doesn't know. She climbs the steps to the apartment slowly, and flinches every time she makes a sudden sound. When she reaches the top, she doesn't go to the Russo's apartment. Instead, she goes to the elevator and takes it to the roof.

The roof was in the same order except, of course, the sky had returned to its normal scattered stars. She looked up, almost hoping her name was still written up there. When she looks down, she sees the perfect example of the phrase "the city that never sleeps". Without thinking, she reaches into her bag and pulls out the rose that he gave to her three years ago. Due to its magical properties, it was still as red as she first saw it, and it still smelled as fresh as if it were picked from the bush a mere two seconds ago. She wipes away a tear from her eye and wonders if he's still here.

"It took you long enough," a voice mumbles from the darkness. She quickly turns around in surprise.

"Who's there?" she says, panicked. Who else would be on a New York apartment rooftop at half-past midnight?

A flower lands in front of her. This time, a lily. Now she knows that whoever is with her, knows who she is. She bends down to pick it up and smells it. She can't help but notice a slight sparkle in the flower. When she looks up, a shadow drenched in the New York midnight blue, yet illuminated by an eerie glow, steps out from the darkness. Her mouth breaks out into a grin.

"I would've came earlier, but I just wanted to test your strength," she says slyly. "How'd you know I would be here?"

He shrugs and steps closer to her, "Call it telepathy, call it magic. Sometimes, you just know."

She looks up and laughs heartedly, "I can't believe I'm here again."

"I still think I'm dreaming," he mutters.

She grabs his hand and clenches it with her fingernails, "Feel that?"

"It doesn't hurt."

"Because you're ignoring the pain," she says.

"It doesn't hurt because it's _you._"

"That doesn't make sense."

"Does it have to make sense, Lilly?" he questions. "Does anything in this entire world have to make sense?"

"Don't be so deep with me, Justin Russo," she scolds. "I just want to let you know that I'm here, you're here, and you're _not dreaming._"

He is silent. He stares into her blue-cerulean eyes, drowning in the clarity of them, almost losing his breath... Then he says, "I have never kissed you."

"Is that a statement?" she asks.

"It's a realization," he answers. He releases her hand, and lets it fall to his side. "Don't you have any questions?"

"I think you know what those questions are," she says. "So why don't we make this easier on ourselves and you could just give me the answers." She holds the lily up and brings it to her nose to smell again. It's still as alive as if it were still planted in the soil.

He smiles and waves a hand over her head. She feels a warm sensation spread throughout her body. Before she can complain, he mutters, "Kiss me."

As if being pulled by a magnet, her lips land on Justin's. When she attempts to pull back, something pulls her back in. She wants to complain, but she can't; she's either a slave to the spell, or she's enjoying it too much. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened her lips on the man in front of her. It may have been forced on her, but she didn't care. What had taken five years to win had finally come to place. He pushes away, and whispers, "Stop."

She pulls back suddenly, almost falling upon the cement. Her breath is shallow, and she feels lightheaded. When she looks up, she complains, "That's not fair."

"What's not fair?" he asks innocently.

"You totally manipulated me!" she accuses, but she's smiling larger than ever.

"You know you enjoyed it," he teases.

"That may be true, but you used magic!"

He lifts his hands up and shrugs, "You're the one who wanted me to keep it, so I might as well have fun with it."

She rolls her eyes, "Whatever, Justin." Then she wraps her arms around him. "Find any wizard girl yet?"

He shakes his head as he holds her, "Nope. I haven't found anyone comparable to you."

"What are you going to do about that?" she asks.

He releases her, and then holds a hand up to his chest. A neon-pink-blue figure emerges onto his hand. He holds it in front of Lilly, and she looks at it, mouth agape and reaches out to touch it, "What... what is that?"

"Lilly, you are looking at the source of all my magic," he says. Then he holds it out to Lilly, "Hold it at the center, and then put it into your pocket."

"Why?" she asks.

"What's it like to be mortal, Lilly?" he asks. "I've been through my whole life with these powers and depending on them for a lot of things." He looks up at the stars once again. "What if I didn't have that to depend on? What if I wanted to give them up to be with..." he looks down at her, "To be with someone like you?"

"Justin... I told you that I wanted you to be the best wizard you can be," she sighs. "I left you so you could achieve that. I didn't come back for you to just throw it all away again."

"I've been through three years with this magic, but three years without you," he explains. "I made a promise when you left, and I broke it as soon as I made it. Lilly, I am _nothing _without you. These powers are _nothing _if I can't have you."

She laughs, "Justin, you are still the cheesy dork I left three years ago! I can't believe you!"

He sighs and shakes his head, "What do I have to say to make you believe me?"

"I do believe you," she assures. "I just don't want you making decisions that you will regret. I love you that much, Justin."

"Then why won't you let me give up my powers?"

She sighs, "I'm not ready to be married. I don't want you to give up your powers _now. _In time, Justin, if I do decide to marry you, then you can give up your powers. Right now, I don't think I'm ready. Right now, I want you to amaze me with what you can do with these powers." She stares at the glowing-neon figure, "Obviously you deserve them if they're still here."

"Lilly, did I ever tell you that my dad gave up his powers to marry my mom?" he asks.

Her mouth drops, "R-really?"

He nods, "Of course, when I found out, I thought it was a pretty stupid thing to do. I mean, give up your powers for a girl?" He looks at his powers and sighs, "But it made me realize, if my dad had never done that, I wouldn't be standing in front of you. My dad really loved my mom, and he was willing to let go of something that was special to him to marry her. I want to do something to show how much I love you, Lilly."

She lays a hand on his cheek and slowly brushes it with her thumb, "You love me that much, don't you?"

He nods.

"Look. Keep your powers for now. In time... we'll see how things go. Now put that weird glowing thing back, it's kind of freaking me out."

He laughs, and with a snap of his fingers, it disappears. Then he takes hold of her and presses his lips against hers again. She quickly pulls away and says, "I'm used to kissing, wizard-boy. What else can your powers do?"

He smiles and says, "Let me show you." He takes her hand and leads her off into the midnight blue.

* * *

**A/N:  
**The end? Really? YES! Happy ending, right? Whatever Justin shows her is up to your imagination. (:  
As for Alex, Max, Oliver, and whoever, that's up to your imagination too. If you want to know so badly what I came up with, don't be afraid to ask.  
Review please? I really want to know your honest opinion. I'm open all of them, good, bad, and ugly. It doesn't take that long... Does it? Not for me. xP  
Hope you enjoyed the story!


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